War in Ukraine

Russia’s bishops said Catholics face dilemmas responding to a mass call-up for the war in Ukraine, and they urged President Vladimir Putin’s government to recognize conscientious objection.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warnings that he would consider using nuclear weapons is a “repugnant threat” that shows the urgency of moving to eliminate nuclear weapons from arsenals around the world, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

Religious leaders in Ukraine called for safe return of prisoners of war, civilian hostages and all those who were forcibly taken to Russia.

A former deputy secretary-general of NATO said threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine must be taken seriously.

A senior Russian priest dismissed President Vladimir Putin’s threats of nuclear war as “just words,” but said many young Catholics now fear being forcibly conscripted with their priests to join the war against Ukraine.